How Could Voting Be Improved In Florida?

Long lines that kept Florida voters in line until Wednesday morning last november resulted in a Presidential Commission. The panel was in Atlanta today listening to lawmakers from around the country on how to prevent future voting failures.

Voters were still in line six hours after the polls closed last November. Florida didn’t name it’s electors for three days.

President Obama appointed a Commission to get answers and provide solutions.

The Presidential Commission on Election Administration was in Atlanta on Wednesday, it was taking testimonies from lawmakers across the country. Access and Registration remain the biggest concerns. “But, the other thing that Florida is missing is sort of a statutory formula for how to allocate pulling place resources.” Katie O’Connor, The Advancement Project.

After the long lines, Florida lawmakers were shamed into reversing changes they made two years earlier. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville doesn’t think they went far enough. “I think we should of mandated the second Sunday of early Voting, it shouldn’t be an option,” says Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville.

Presidential Commissioners say they are aware of the changes Florida made but they say more can be done. “We heard a number of things that impact lines. Registration, the accuracy of registration,” says Christopher Thomas, Presidential Elections Commissioner.

No one raised a concern about voters registered illegally, but Governor Rick Scott said roles in Florida will be purged. State Senator Eleanor Sobel calls it a wasted effort. “We need to be real careful with how we use our dollars and we are using them inappropriately here to suppress voter turnout,” says Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Broward County.

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